If the flooring of your home is old and worn, you might want to consider replacing them with a new floor. A short search for flooring goods on the internet reveals the ongoing dispute between engineered hardwood and laminate flooring. Which one do you think you should pick? And why is that?
The answers are relative since there are compelling reasons to select one over the other under some circumstances. Furthermore, both types of flooring come in various colours and styles, are simple to install and may give a room a fresh new look.
Continue reading to discover more about each of these flooring kinds so you can choose between engineered hardwood and laminate flooring with confidence.
Engineered hardwood flooring resembles natural wood more than laminate. There's a good explanation for this: it's natural hardwood flooring. The uppermost layer, after all, is made of hardwood.
Engineered hardwood flooring is constructed out of a thin layer of hardwood bonded to a strip of the wood substrate. The makers arrange the strands in perpendicular layers, allowing each layer to stretch and shrink while staying stable.
Because just the top layer is the pricey hardwood, this is a considerably more reliable and generally inexpensive method to hardwood. Aspen, pine, and other softwoods are commonly used as sublayers since they are less expensive for the producer.
Engineered hardwood and laminate flooring are two distinct animals. While these floors may be made to appear like hardwood, they can also be made to look like stone, ceramic, or any other material that the maker desires.
A laminate floor is made up of four layers in general. The bottom layer, usually cork or foam, offers a soft, silent foundation that aids in moisture resistance. A high-density fiberboard is the next layer up. A thin layer of ornamental paper-like material with the pattern printed on it sits on top of it. The wear layer is the final layer, and it's a transparent protectant that can withstand the wear of shoes and chair legs.
The printed, decorative layer allows laminate flooring to resemble nearly any material desired by the producer. It's hardly more than a big sticker.
Engineered hardwood and laminate flooring are strong and resilient enough to withstand anything a traditional hardwood floor can. Engineered hardwood, on the other side, has a few more requirements in terms of maintenance.
Engineered hardwood is still hardwood flooring; therefore, it needs the same care and maintenance. Spills or leaks, for example, must be cleaned immediately, just as they would on a typical hardwood floor. Otherwise, the liquid will seep into the flooring, causing it to bulge. It's also a good idea to apply a coat of wax now and then to maintain the finish and keep the floor from absorbing moisture.
On the other side, a greater level of upkeep may be beneficial. Refinishing materials may be used to remove the wear layer from most engineered hardwood floors, giving them a new, clean look.
Laminate flooring is generally less expensive than engineered hardwood flooring. Almost the majority of the materials utilized in laminate flooring are synthetic or repurposed. For example, high-density fiberboard comprises sawdust, glues, and resins compressed to extremes at a factory. This technique requires a fraction of the time and materials felling and milling a hardwood tree for flooring needs.
And engineered hardwood is available in many species, which can have a significant impact on the price. While oak is generally inexpensive, more luxury woods like cherry or mahogany might cost twice as much. The "wood" layer on a laminate floor is a printed sticker, allowing all laminate to be comparably priced.
It should come as no surprise that engineered hardwood flooring would increase the market value more than laminate. Because these two floorings are almost identical on the surface and maybe refinished, it can be difficult to distinguish between an engineered hardwood floor and a traditional hardwood floor.
There's also a misconception that laminate flooring isn't as durable or as high-quality as hardwood flooring. While laminate floors do not include hardwood or stone, they can be more durable than engineered flooring. Many people, however, are ready to spend a little extra for solid wood.
Engineered hardwood and laminate flooring are very simple to install, although laminate flooring is somewhat easier for do-it-yourselfers. Engineered hardwood flooring sometimes requires glue, but laminate flooring may typically float, giving it an appropriate lock-and-drop option.
In addition, laminate flooring materials are generally easier to cut than engineered hardwood. With guillotine-style flooring cutters that are very easy to operate, laminate flooring may often be scored and snapped to length.
Laminate flooring is also more DIY-friendly due to its lower cost. Any errors will be far less costly than if you used an expensive engineered hardwood product.
Regardless of whatever option you choose, both are more water-resistant than a typical hardwood floor; however, laminate has the upper hand. Both of these floors have wear layers on top that keep water out, but laminate flooring's artificial components are more water-resistant than wood.
Water will not seep into the pores on the surface of the hardwood, but if it gets through the seams, the hardwood will wick it up and create swelling. Water is less likely to seep into laminate flooring strips because the joints between the strips are usually more waterproof.
One of the main advantages of engineered hardwood flooring, as previously noted, is that it can be restored. Most products are pretty durable right out of the box, with a coating of aluminium oxide preserving the finish, but unlike a laminate floor, if a severe scratch penetrates the wood, it's not all gone.
A floor repair wax that matches the floor's colour is needed for minor scratches and repairs. Follow the recommendations to apply it to the scrape and rub it out until the scratch is no longer visible.
It may be required to remove the aluminium oxide layer for deeper scratches or more prominent regions. This requires a unique flooring sander with ceramic or other abrasive sanding belts, but the refinishing procedure is identical to a typical hardwood floor.
Pets are great cuddly additions to the household, yet they may get into mischief. Their nails may readily damage a floor, and, on occasion, they may even leave a small damp mess behind.
Laminate floors are preferable for pet owners because of their water resistance, cost, and general wear resistance. They're easier to maintain than engineered hardwood floors, and they're often more durable. Nails are less likely to dig into a laminate floor during fun, and if they do, pet owners will have more time to clean it up before permanent damage occurs.
Call Now
0405 900 741
